“To achieve style, begin by affecting none.”
― E.B. White, The Elements of Style
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I do not have anything against using artificial intelligence (AI) on editorial projects; I am not a Luddite. If anything, I tend to welcome new technologies and look for how they might improve our lives.
On the other hand, I hate fake things, which includes much of the AI-assisted writing out there so far. One of my main issues is that English provides an abundance of word choices and finding the right ones includes not overusing the wrong ones
So it’s not surprising an article that caught my eye recently reported that certain words and phrases are starting to pop up everywhere from social media posts to news articles to academic publications. The author suggested that this might be an indication of the increasing use of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs).
The words in question include delves, showcasing, underscores, pivotal, realm and meticulous.
These are all perfectly fine words when used with discretion, but when they are employed too abundantly, problems arise.
One of those is that overuse induces a cluttered feeling, confusion, awkwardness, boredom, the sense that one may be in the presence of a writer who is, shall we say it, lazy. Or, you might say, robotic.
Alas, those overusing AI in their writing probably never consulted the brief but classic volume co-authored by E.B. White and William Strunk, Jr., called “The Elements of Style.”
To quote this guide, which ideally would be on every writer’s desk:
“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
If only we all followed that advice, perhaps AI would learn to as well.
HEADLINES:
Trump Plans to Attend Gathering of U.S. Military Officers (NYT)
How much extra power would a government shutdown give Trump? (Al Jazeera)
Shutdown fight over Obamacare highlights drawback of health care law (WP)
The latest on the Trump administration as government shutdown looms (CNN)
Trump’s shutdown plans: Mass layoffs, deregulation, military deployments (WP)
The US government is facing a crisis of legitimacy (Guardian)
Videos of fatal ICE shooting in Chicago raise questions about DHS account (WP)
The sparse indictment of Comey by Trump’s Justice Department belies a complicated backstory (AP)
Multiple people shot at Mormon church in Michigan and North Carolina bar (Guardian)
The full force of Trump’s federal job cuts is about to hit the D.C. region (WP)
Russia Hammers Kyiv in 12-Hour Drone and Missile Assault (NYT)
U.S. peace plan for Gaza leaves door open for a Palestinian state (WP)
My son moved home because of the high cost of living and a low-paying, entry-level job. I never got to be an empty nester. (Business Insider)
Famed roboticist says humanoid robot bubble is doomed to burst (TechCrunch)
Gavin Newsom, Kristi Noem Nod Silently To Each Other In Plastic Surgeon’s Office (Onion)
MUSIC VIDEO: He thinks he’ll keep her - Mary Chapin Carpenter (live 1993)
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